Onjo of Baekje facts for kids

Onjo of Baekje
Quick facts for kids Korean name
Hangul	온조왕
Hanja	溫祚王
Revised Romanization	Onjo-wang
McCune–Reischauer	Onjo-wang

Onjo (who lived from about 28 BC to AD 28) was the first king of Baekje (백제, 百濟). Baekje was one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, a very important time in Korean history. Onjo is known for starting the royal family of Baekje. We learn about him mostly from an old book called the Samguk Sagi.

Who Was King Onjo?

There are different stories about who Onjo's parents were. One popular story says he was the third son of King Dongmyeong. King Dongmyeong was the founder of another big Korean kingdom called Goguryeo. This story says Onjo was the younger brother of Yuri, who became the second king of Goguryeo. He also had an older brother named Biryu.

Another idea is that Onjo's father was Wutae, his mother's first husband. A third story says that his older brother Biryu was Wutae's son, but Onjo was born after his mother married King Dongmyeong.

Building a New Kingdom

King Dongmyeong had three sons: Yuri, Biryu, and Onjo. When Yuri, who was born from Dongmyeong's first wife, came to Goguryeo and became the next in line for the throne, Biryu and Onjo decided to move south. They wanted to start their own kingdoms.

According to another old book, the Samguk Yusa, Biryu first tried to build his kingdom in a place called Michuhol. But his kingdom didn't last long. After Biryu died, his people joined Onjo's group. Onjo had first named his kingdom Sipje, but after Biryu's people joined, he changed the name to Baekje.

Moving the Capital

Onjo first set up his capital city in Habuk Wiryeseong, which is in modern-day Seoul. But he soon realized it wasn't safe enough. Tribes called the Malgal were attacking from the north, and another group called Nangnang was to the east.

So, in 5 BC, Onjo moved the capital to a safer spot south of the Han River. He renamed it Hanam Wiryeseong. He sent a message to the king of the Mahan confederacy to let them know about the move.

Expanding Baekje's Land

Onjo had big plans to take over the lands of Mahan and Jinhan. By 7 AD, he was getting his army ready for war. In 8 AD, he secretly led his soldiers across the border, pretending he was going hunting. Soon, almost all of Mahan was conquered, except for two strongholds. The people in these last two places gave up and Onjo treated them kindly. The Mahan King had died, but he left a letter asking Onjo to be good to his people. Onjo respected this wish.

However, some newer studies suggest that Baekje actually conquered Mahan later, around the mid-3rd century. This means the stories in the old books might have been written to make Onjo seem even more powerful.

Baekje grew a lot under Onjo, and new forts were built every year. There was peace for eight years. But in 16 AD, a former Mahan general started a rebellion. Onjo quickly led an army of 5,000 soldiers and stopped the uprising. The Malgal tribes tried to invade again in 22 AD, but Onjo and his army defeated them once more.

End of Onjo's Reign

King Onjo died peacefully in 28 AD. He had ruled for 46 years. His oldest son, Daru, became the next king. Onjo created a strong foundation for Baekje, which would become a powerful kingdom and last for 678 years with 31 different rulers.

Family

• Father: Wutae (a grandson of King Hae Buru from Bukbuyeo)
• Step-father: Dongmyeongseong of Goguryeo (also known as Jumong)
  • Step-brother: Yuri of Goguryeo
• Mother: So Seo-no
  • Brother: Biryu
• Queen: Her name is not known.
  • • 1st son: Daru of Baekje (who became the 2nd King of Baekje)
    • 2nd son: His name is not known.
    • 3rd son: Tokusa-Ō (This son later moved to Japan, becoming one of the earliest people from Baekje to settle there.)

Popular culture

• Portrayed by Kim Seok in the 2006 MBC TV series Jumong.
• Portrayed by Kim Joo-young in the 2010–11 KBS1 TV series The King of Legend.
• Portrayed by Cho Chi Hun in the 2017 KBS TV series Chronicles of Korea.

See also

In Spanish: Onjo de Baekje para niños

• Baekje
• Wiryeseong
• History of Korea
• List of Korean monarchs
• Dongmyeongseong of Goguryeo
• Wutae
• Soseono
• Yuri of Goguryeo
• Biryu